The North Country Commuter

Commuting – or staying put for that matter – feels more like taking a kayak trip through the Boundary Waters when you're carrying the Traveler's Portfolio from Duluth Pack, a company that's been building strong, commonsense canvas and leather bags by hand in the same Minnesota factory for over a century. (The brand's original canoe utility pack cost $3, and we bet some of those early models are still kicking around the north country.) Crafted from rugged bison leather sourced on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, the Traveler's Portfolio can be carried as a briefcase or shoulder bag and has a well-organized interior that accommodates a laptop. Because the materials were made to take a beating, this is a luxury bag that's not precious. [Duluth Pack Bison Leather Traveler's Portfolio, $360; duluthpack.com]